Packaging scheme for portable electronics

ABSTRACT

An insert and packaging system for a box may include a pliable body defining a void. The void is dimensioned to receive an end of a portable computer. The void is characterized by a height and a width. The body that defines the void has at least two removable portions, such that removal of the portions alters the height and width of the void, thereby permitting the void to receive a portable computer of varying dimensions.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to packaging schemes for portable consumer electronics, and more particularly to an improved box and set of inserts for packaging of portable consumer electronics, such as a portable computer.

BACKGROUND

Consumer electronics, such as personal computers, are typically purchased at a commercial outlet, where knowledgeable employees of the outlet may assist an individual in understanding the product offerings, and in deciding which particular product to purchase. At the time of purchase, customers may be offered a warranty for purchase that supplements the warranty offered by the manufacturer of the product. For example, a purchaser of a portable computer may be offered a multi-year warranty for a price that is determined as a given fraction of the purchase price of the computer. Commercial outlets often maintain a service department to handle warranty claims or other service claims that their customers may have. Thus, for example, when an owner of a portable computer returns his or her computer to the commercial outlet for service, the service department may attempt to remedy the problem exhibited by the portable computer. If the service department is unable to remedy the problem, the service department may ship the computer to a central location for servicing.

As a necessary condition of shipping the computer from the outlet to the service center (and vice versa), the personal computer must be properly packaged within a cardboard box. To protect the computer during shipping, the box may include foam inserts that surrounds and suspends the computer, so that if the box were to be dropped, a surface of one or more of the foam inserts absorbs the impact and generally “cushions” the blow. Therefore, the computer is spared damage from the occasionally harsh handling incurred during the shipping process.

One particular problem encountered during boxing a personal computer for shipping is that personal computers come in different dimensions, which generally necessitates the need for different sized boxes and different sized inserts to accommodate the various possible dimensions of portable computers. In ad hoc shipping environments, such as outlets for consumer electronics, maintaining an inventory of various sized boxes and inserts for boxes is cumbersome and expensive.

An opportunity for improvement of the packaging scheme used during shipping of portable electronics, such as portable computers exists. An improved scheme may reduce the need for different size boxes and/or inserts for different sized computers. It is desirable that such a scheme be relatively inexpensive and easy to use.

SUMMARY

Against this backdrop, the present invention was developed. According to one embodiment, an insert for a box may include a pliable body defining a void. The void is dimensioned to receive an end of a portable computer. The void is characterized by a height and a width. The body that defines the void has at least two removable portions, such that removal of the portions alters the height and width of the void, thereby permitting the void to receive a portable computer of varying dimensions.

According to another embodiment, an insert includes a body of foam having a first surface and an opposed second surface. The insert also includes a first plurality of incisions extending from the first surface to second surface. The insert further includes a second plurality of incisions extending from the first surface and stopping short of the second surface. The first and second pluralities of incisions cooperate to form first and second legs that are foldably joined to the second surface of the body of foam, and a third detachable leg. The first, second, and third legs abut one another, so that when the first and second legs are unfolded, and when the third leg is detached, a void is created. The void is dimensioned for receiving an end of a portable computer.

According to another embodiment, a packaging system for a portable computer includes a box and a means for suspending a portable computer within the computer. The suspending means is adjustable to permit suspension of a portable computer of varying dimensions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a pair of inserts suspending a portable computer.

FIG. 2 depicts the embodiment of the pair of inserts of FIG. 1 within an exemplary embodiment of a box.

FIG. 3A depicts a frontal view of the insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3B is another depiction of a frontal view of the insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is another depiction of a frontal view of the insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4B is a frontal depiction of the insert of FIG. 1 with removable portions thereof withdrawn from the insert.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a foam body exhibiting incisions that cooperate to form the insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is another depiction of an exemplary embodiment of a foam body exhibiting incisions that cooperate to form the insert of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 depicts the foam body of FIG. 5 with its pair of foldable legs extended from the body.

FIG. 8A is a frontal depiction of the foam body of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8B is a frontal depiction of the foam body of FIG. 8B with a removable portion withdrawn.

FIG. 9A is a rear view of an exemplary embodiment of the foam body of FIG. 8B.

FIG. 9B is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the foam body of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 10A is a frontal view of an exemplary embodiment of the foam body of FIG. 9B.

FIG. 10B is a frontal depiction of the foam body of FIG. 10A with removable portions withdrawn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments presented herein will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views. Reference to various embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of covered subject matter, which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto. Additionally, any examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments.

FIG. 1 depicts an improved packaging scheme that includes a pair of inserts 100 and 102. According to some embodiments, each insert 100 and 102 is a foam body, such as packaging foam or other foam used for creation of packaging inserts or in the packaging field generally. (Each of the various inserts disclosed herein may be made of foam, although this is not essential to practice of the invention. The inserts may be made of any material suitable for use in connection with packaging and for serving the purpose of securing and/or protecting an article during transport.) Each body defines a cavity or void that is dimensioned to receive opposite ends 105 and 107 of a portable electronic device, such as a portable computer 104. Each insert 100 and 102 includes a pair of legs 106, 108, 110, and 112 that project outwardly from the insert. According to some embodiments, the legs 106, 108, 110, and 112 are composed of the same materials of which the bodies of the inserts are composed. Although the inserts 100 and 102 of FIG. 1 are shown as including two legs apiece, in principle, each insert 100 and 102 may include any number of legs, including a single leg, two legs, three legs, or more.

FIG. 2 depicts a box 200 into which the inserts 100 and 102 have been introduced. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the inserts 100 and 102 rest upon the bottom surface of the box 200, and suspend the portable computer 104 therein. According to some embodiments, the box 200 is composed of cardboard, as is commonly known in the art of packaging. As shown in the particular embodiment of FIG. 2, each insert 100 and 102 has three legs 106, 108, 110, 112, 202, and 204 protruding therefrom. (In FIG. 1, each insert 100 and 102 was shown with only two legs 106, 108, 110, and 112 protruding therefrom; center legs 202 and 204 are optional, and provide for better support and rigidity.) The legs 106, 108, 110, 112, 202, and 204 extend outwardly from the body of each insert 100 and 102, and abut opposite sides 201 and 203 of the box 200. The legs 106, 108, 110, 112, 202, and 204 serve to stabilize the inserts 100 and 102 and computer 104 within the box, so that they do not move within the box when the box is being handled during shipping, for example. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the side of the box identified by reference numeral 203 is actually the side of a compartment that may be used to contain items such as electrical cords, etc.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict side views (as viewed from a vantage identified by the dashed line presented in FIG. 2) of the insert 100. According to the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the inserts 100 and 102 are substantially identical. Therefore, the ensuing description of insert 100 serves as a description of insert 102. Of course, the inserts 100 and 102 need not be identical, but for the sake of manufacturability, the inserts 100 and 102 may often be substantially identical. As can be seen from FIG. 3A, the body of the insert 100 defines a void or cavity 300 generally characterized by a height, h, and a width, w. The void 300 is partially defined by surfaces 302, 304, 306, and 308, and during use, the computer makes contact with these surfaces 302, 304, 306, and 308. According to some embodiments, one or more of the surfaces 302, 304, 306, and 308 may exhibit a sawtooth shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, surface 302 exhibits a sawtooth shape. The sawtooth shape allows the insert 100 to receive an end of a portable computer having a range of heights. For example, the insert 100 may receive an end of a portable computer having a height as great as h₁, and as little as h₂. Although not depicted, surface 304 may exhibit a sawtooth shape, according to some embodiments, thereby achieving an even greater flexibility in terms of the range of heights of portable computers that may be received by the insert 100. Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, surfaces 306 and 308 also exhibit a sawtooth shape. Consequently, the insert 100 may receive an end of a portable computer having a width as great as w₁, and as little as w₂. Although FIG. 3B depicts surfaces 306 and 308 as exhibiting a sawtooth shape, according to some embodiments, only one of the surfaces 306 or 308 exhibits a sawtooth shape. Still further, according to some embodiments, none of the surfaces 302, 304, 306, and 308 exhibit a sawtooth shape.

To provide still greater flexibility in the range of heights and widths of computers receivable by the insert 100, one or more of the surfaces 302, 304, 306, and 308 that partially define the void or cavity 300 may be removable. For example, surfaces 304, 306, and 308 may be removable along the dashed lines depicted in FIG. 4A. By “removable,” it is meant that the portions of the insert body identified by the aforementioned dashed lines may be separated from the insert body without resort to any tool, such as a cutting tool or the like. For example, the insert body may be scored along the dashed lines, in order to permit easy removal of the portions 304, 306, and 308. When those portions 304, 306, and 308 are removed, the cavity or void 300 grows in width (if portions 306 or 308 are removed) and in height (if portion 304 is removed). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the width of the void 300 grows to a dimension w₃, where w₃>w₂, and the height grows to a dimension as great as h₃, where h₃>h₂. Note that removal of portion 304 causes the newly-created surface 400 to exhibit a sawtooth shape, thereby providing even greater flexibility in height, as described previously.

FIG. 5 depicts a foam body 500 that includes various incisions that cooperate to form an insert like that described with reference to FIG. 1-4. The body 500 has a first surface 502 (the surface that is viewed from the vantage presented in FIG. 5), and an oppositely disposed second surface that is not visible, given the vantage presented in FIG. 5. The body 500 includes three different types of incisions: (1) incisions that extend all they way from the first surface 502 to the opposed second surface, which are indicated in FIG. 5 by solid lines; (2) scoring, i.e., incisions that intermittently extend from the first surface 502 to the opposed second surface to permit for removable portions of the body 500, which are indicated by dashed lines; and (3) incisions that extend from the first surface 502 but not to the second opposed surface, which are indicated by dotted lines (e.g., incisions that extend about 80% or 90% of the way through the body).

The aforementioned incisions cooperate to create the various features of the insert described previously. For example, portions 600 and 602 may be rotated about the dotted lines (one of which has been identified by reference numeral 604), which represent incisions extending through about 90% of the foam body, to form legs projecting outwardly from the body. The legs formed by such rotation correspond to the legs 106, 108, 110, and 112 described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 7 depicts a front view of the insert after having performed such a rotation operation.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8A, the portion identified by reference numeral 800 may be removed. As a consequence of such removal, the insert appears as shown in FIG. 8B. As can be seen from FIG. 8B, the void described with reference to FIGS. 1-4B is created by unfolding of the legs 600 and 602 and removal of the central portion 800. The legs 801 and 803 of the removed central portion may then be inserted into the slots 802 and 804 in the foam body, creating a central leg. The leg formed by such insertion corresponds to the central legs 202 and 204 depicted in FIG. 2. A rear view of the insert after having inserted portion 800 to form a central leg is depicted in FIG. 9A. A top view is shown in FIG. 9B.

It should be noted, that the distal portions 900 and 902 of legs 600 and 602 are removable, by virtue of the scoring indicated by the dashed lines (this scoring is also shown in FIG. 5). Removal of the distal portions 900 and 902 of the legs, shortens the distance by which the body of the inserts are offset from the edge of the box, and therefore lengthens the span of space between the two inserts, thereby allowing for the inserts to accommodate a longer computer.

Turning to FIG. 10A, it should also be noted that the portions identified by reference numerals 1000, 1002, and 1004 are removable, by virtue of the scoring indicated by the dashed lines (this scoring is also depicted in FIG. 5). Removal of the portions identified by reference numerals 1000, 1002, and 1004 extends the length and width of the void, as discussed previously, and therefore permits for reception of a larger computer. FIG. 10B depicts the insert with the portions identified by reference numerals 1000, 1002, and 1004 removed.

The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made to the present invention without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims. 

1. An insert for a box, the insert comprising: a pliable body defining a void, the void being dimensioned to receive an end of a portable computer, the void being characterized by a height and a width, wherein the body defining the void has at least two removable portions, such that removal of the portions alters the height and width of the void, thereby permitting the void to receive a portable computer of varying dimensions.
 2. The insert of claim 1, wherein the body has oppositely disposed first and second surfaces, and wherein the void extends from the first surface to the second surface.
 3. The insert of claim 1, wherein the void is bounded by a plurality of surfaces of the body, and wherein at least one of the surfaces exhibits a sawtooth shape.
 4. The insert of claim 1, wherein the body comprises foam.
 5. The insert of claim 1, further comprising: at least two legs projecting a distance from the body.
 6. The insert of claim 5, wherein the body has a first surface and an oppositely disposed second surface, wherein the void extends from the first surface to the second surface, and wherein the two legs project from the first surface,
 7. The insert of claim 6, wherein the legs each have a distal end that is remote from the first surface of the body and a proximal end that is near the first surface of the body.
 8. The insert of claim 7, wherein the proximal end of each leg is joined to the first surface of the body.
 9. The insert of claim 7, wherein the distal end of each leg includes a removable portion for altering the distance each leg projects from the body.
 10. The insert of claim 5, further comprising a third leg projecting from the body.
 11. An insert for a box, the insert comprising: a body of foam having a first surface and an opposed second surface; a first plurality of incisions extending from the first surface to second surface; and a second plurality of incisions extending from the first surface and stopping short of the second surface; wherein the first and second pluralities of incisions cooperate to form first and second legs that are foldably joined to the second surface of the body of foam, and a third detachable leg, and wherein the first, second, and third legs abut one another, so that when the first and second legs are unfolded, and when the third leg is detached, a void is created, the void dimensioned for receiving an end of a portable computer.
 12. The insert of claim 11, wherein the void is characterized by a height and a width, wherein the first and second pluralities of incisions cooperate to form at least two removable portions, such that removal of the portions alters the height and width of the void, thereby permitting the void to receive a portable computer of varying dimensions.
 13. The insert of claim 11, wherein the first, second, and third legs each have a distal end that is remote from the first surface of the body and a proximal end that is near the first surface of the body.
 14. The insert of claim 13, wherein the distal end of each leg includes a removable portion for altering the distance each leg projects from the body.
 15. The insert of claim 11, wherein the void is bounded by a plurality of surfaces of the body, and wherein at least one of the surfaces exhibits a sawtooth shape.
 16. A packaging system for a portable computer, the system comprising: a box; and a means for suspending a portable computer within the computer, wherein the suspending means is adjustable to permit suspension of a portable computer of varying dimensions.
 17. The packaging system of claim 16, wherein the box includes a compartment dimensioned to hold electrical cords.
 18. The packaging system of claim 16, wherein the suspension means includes a first piece and a second piece, each piece defining a void.
 19. The packaging system of claim 18, wherein the suspension means includes a means for adjusting a distance between the first and second piece.
 20. The packaging system of claim 18, wherein the suspension means includes a means for adjusting a height and width of the void of at least one of the voids. 